What is the conflict check request form template?
A conflict search is only as reliable as the names it's given. When requests arrive by email, related companies, former names and other interested parties are easily left out. This template asks for each group separately so nothing is forgotten.
The requester describes the proposed matter — its type, value and responsible lawyer — and whether the client is new or existing. Then come the names to search: the client's full legal name, trading and former names, and related entities; every adverse party and their related entities; the other side's lawyers; and other interested parties such as co-defendants, lenders or key witnesses.
Finally the requester says whether they already know of a relationship that could be a problem, with a required explanation on a yes, and confirms that no substantive work will start before clearance. Each request is filed as a PDF in your FileIt vault for the conflicts record.
- Best for
- Law firms, accountancy and consulting firms with a conflicts process
- Filled in by
- The fee earner or assistant opening a new matter
- Time to complete
- About 10 minutes
- Includes
- Matter details, client and adverse party lists, related entities, known-issue disclosure and a no-work-before-clearance confirmation
Who uses a conflict check request form?
- Fee earners requesting a search before opening a new matter
- Checking a prospective client before a pitch or tender
- Adding a new party to an existing matter
- Smaller firms without dedicated conflicts software
- Professional services firms — accountants, consultants, valuers — that must check independence
- Keeping a searchable record of every conflict request and its parties
Questions on this conflict check request form
25 questions over 4 pages · includes file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 Requester & matter
- Requested by*
- Email*
- Office or practice group
- Responsible partner or supervising lawyer*
- How urgent is this check?* Standard · Urgent — needed today · Prospective — pitch or beauty parade
- Proposed matter name*
- Type of work* Litigation or dispute · Transaction or deal · Advisory · Regulatory or investigation · Employment · Real estate · Private client · Other
- Brief description of the work*
- Estimated value of the matter or deal
- Is this a new client?*
- Existing client number asked only when it applies
2 Client
- Client's full legal name*
- Client type* Individual · Company · Partnership or LLP · Trust · Government or public body · Charity or non-profit
- Other names the client uses or has used
- Client's related entities and individuals
3 Other parties
- Adverse parties*
- Adverse parties' related entities and individuals
- Their lawyers or advisers
- Other interested parties
4 Known issues & confirmation
- Are you aware of any relationship between the firm or its people and any party that could be a conflict?*
- Please describe it* asked only when it applies
- To your knowledge, has the firm acted against this client or for any adverse party before?
- Which matter, and when?* asked only when it applies
- Supporting documents
- Confirmation*
The conflict check request form, page by page
1 Requester & matter
Who is asking, their office and responsible partner, how urgent the check is, the proposed matter name and type, a description, estimated value, and whether it's a new client — existing clients are asked for their client number.
2 Client
The client's full legal name, client type, other names used, and related entities and individuals such as parents, subsidiaries, directors or family members.
3 Other parties
Adverse parties (required), their related entities, their lawyers or advisers, and other interested parties such as co-defendants, lenders, guarantors, experts or regulators.
4 Known issues & confirmation
Whether the requester knows of any relationship that could be a conflict — a yes requires details — and whether the firm has acted against the client or for an adverse party before, with the matter details on a yes. Supporting documents can be uploaded, and the requester confirms the party list is complete and no substantive work will start until clearance.
Make the template yours
- Rename matter types to your firm's practice groups
- Add a question for whether a lateral hire or new joiner has acted for any party
- Add a field for the proposed engagement letter date
- Send requests to a conflicts folder in the vault and notify the conflicts team
- Require a document upload for complex corporate groups
- Adjust the confirmation to your firm's policy wording
Tips for a better conflict check request form
- Enter one name per line in the party boxes so they're easy to copy into a search
- Include former and trading names — they're a common source of missed hits
- List insurers and funders as interested parties where they're involved
- Update the request if new parties appear once the matter is open
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each request is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, and the conflicts team is notified. With a respondent copy on, the requester receives their own PDF.
The conflicts team runs the searches, reviews any hits with the responsible partner and records the clearance decision. The Responses table keeps a list of every request and can export to CSV.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Conflict check request form: frequently asked questions
Is this conflict check template free?
Yes. It's included with FileIt's Forms app on every plan, including free.
Does the form run the search?
No. It collects the names and matter details; the search and clearance decision happen in your own conflicts process.
Who should fill it in?
Usually the lawyer opening the matter or their assistant.
Can it be used outside law firms?
Yes. Accountants, consultants and other professional firms with independence checks can rename the labels to suit.
Can large party lists be uploaded?
Yes. The last page accepts spreadsheets and documents, up to five files.
Is it private?
Responses are filed in your own vault. Keep the form link internal, for example by sending it only to staff.